Lila Gongora
LV Life Editor
The men’s water polo team took the win against Mt. San Antonio College on Wednesday, 15-11, at the Mt. SAC Aquatics Center.
With the Leopards holding the lead for the majority of the game, they hope this will set the precedent for them as they go into their first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match in two weeks.
“I think offensively we have a lot of good attackers,” head coach Robert Echeverria said. “I think going 110 percent on the defensive end will help us feed our transitions and our counter attackers.”
Echeverria explained the dynamic of his players.
“I think experience goes a long way, so I think this year we’re definitely deeper than last year,” he said.
During the first quarter, Mt. SAC scored the first point of the game, lighting a fire beneath the La Verne offensive side.
Senior attacker Jordan Baker scored La Verne’s first goal with an assist from senior attacker Nicolo Buono.
The two repeated the play shortly after with Buono helping Baker find the back of the net again.
“We started off a little slow,” Buono said. “We’re going to have to work on our counters and our team defense.”
Buono explained the team feels enthusiastic and ready to take on these challenges as they face tougher opponents in SCIAC.
“I think this year is really different,” Baker said. “With this being my fourth year, I would say this is the best that we’re looking.”
After the first quarter, the Leopards led, 3-2, against the Mounties.
A six-on-five power play goal by senior utility player Timothy Robles in the second quarter extended their lead to 5-3.
Steadily, the score for La Verne increased while Mt. SAC struggled to put it past the keeper.
Senior goalkeeper Henry De Luna had eight saves during his time in the first half.
“The biggest thing that holds me back is my own confidence, just getting in my own head, so that’s something that I’ve been really focusing on working on this season,” De Luna said.
He explained that getting everyone involved in the match was a good feeling. He hopes this confidence will play a big role in the team when competing in league games.
“We want to beat all the other teams in SCIAC, so we’re kind of going into it with a chip on our shoulder,” De Luna said. “When we start playing those really competitive games I know we’ll be ready.”
Going into the second half, the score was 10-4 in favor of the Leopards.
Junior utility player Josh Lamberton started the third quarter off strong with his third goal of the match.
As the lead scorer last year, Lamberton said he’s trying to do much of the same thing this year.
“There’s a lot of pressure, but I have a good team around me so I’m not too worried,” Lamberton said. “Our chemistry is really on point this year.”
The Mounties were able to find their footing offensively in the last half, capitalizing on some weak defensive plays from the Leopards.
However, La Verne maintained an unwavering lead with a final score of 15-11.
“Getting on the same page, even on offense, knowing where our advantages are as we get down the pool, and just better communication overall could really help our team,” Echeverria said.
The men’s water polo team has an overall 3-2 standing heading into their first SCIAC match at 11 a.m. Sept. 26 against Chapman at Allred Aquatics Center in Orange.
Lila Gongora can be reached at lila.gongora@laverne.edu.
Lila Gongora is a sophomore communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is the LV Life editor for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
